Massivit 3D Printing Technologies, the leading provider of large format 3D printing solutions for visual communication applications, has introduced Massivit 1500 printing solution to increase accessibility into growing large format 3D printing market. The new variant facilitates an affordable, print show friendly solution for the large format 3D printing. By integrating 3D printed models/enhancements to existing 2D applications, printer providers can increase their product portfolio to offer innovative and ground-breaking applications. These include engaging POP/POS displays, illuminated signage and props as well as high endurance moulds for cost-effective thermoforming for the advertising, retail, entertainment, events and interior design markets.
Earlier in drupa 2016, this Israel-based technology giant unveiled its pioneering large format 3D printer, Massivit 1800. Specifically engineered for large format signs & displays, Massivit 1800 empowered its customers to produce attention-grabbing effigies and help them enhance their competitive edge surpassing all the expectations, which were neither possible nor even imaginable using traditional methods. We, at Sign & POP World, got hold with Isabelle Marelly, Worldwide Director of Marketing, Massivit 3D to know what new Massivit has come up with of late. In the follow-up is what she responded to our queries over an email.
What were the highlights/attractions on Massivit 3D’s booth at FESPA 2018? How was the response?
Our recently launched Massivit 1500 Exploration 3D Printer took center-stage at FESPA 2018 and proved enormously popular with visitors. This was the first time that the European market could see live demonstrations of this new solution so the excitement it generated, combined with our overall offering as the world’s only 3D printing manufacturer for large format applications, proved to be the main draw for print providers visiting our booth.
Designed for print shops of all sizes, the Massivit 1500 expands the accessibility of our technology to a wider market. Visitors were keen to understand how this printer ensures that small-to-large businesses can benefit from the limitless creativity and new business opportunities enabled by our technology.
Additionally, our flagship Massivit 1800 and the vast gamut of innovative applications on display, generated huge interest and excitement.
Can you advise whether the company introduced/focused on a new application area achievable with your 3D printers?
Within our range of attention-grabbing displays, an application that stood out was our 3D printed soft signage. Visitors were stunned by the vast production efficiencies achievable when incorporating our technology into the production cycle to create an application like this. Plus, the geometric freedom and visual impact of the application itself sparked many people’s imaginations as to the new business opportunities presented by this product. Print providers realized that they can expand their service offering with soft signage, generating additional business from existing clients as well as winning new customers.
3D printing by its very nature, builds from the ground up. This provides the ideal platform for these businesses to produce complex geometries that were previously unattainable using traditional methods. With the ability to craft cursive letters, 3D printing opens the door to wider customization, allowing print providers to surpass the standard front type and produce cutting-edge channel letters.
What’s more, as our technology prints hollow pieces, these companies can produce llightweight yet robust channel letters in just a matter of hours! This bypasses time-consuming manual labor and eliminates costly iterations often associated with traditional manufacturing methods.
For the end-customer, the capability to incorporate textures, video mapping or illumination provides them with greater customer engagement thanks to the wow-factor impact created and, crucially this delivers superior brand awareness.
How has the presence of Massivit 3D Printing Technologies changed the panorama of advertising & signage industry across the globe?
With the flexibility, speed and price point to unlock huge new creative opportunities and drive profitable growth for users, our solutions are proving instrumental in elevating existing advertising sign and display projects to a new dimension.
These span a multitude of applications across an array of sectors: from awe-inspiring advertising billboards and POP/POS pieces for retail, to stunning displays for events/ exhibitions or innovative concept pieces.
Take for example, promotional billboards – traditionally these 2D graphics would be static, offering limited visual appeal. By combining large format 3D elements, companies can produce eye-catching applications that stand-out from the crowd, offering better customer engagement.
A great example of this is our 3D printed football concept billboard. Rather than print a traditional 2D display, this application showcases the power of rethinking a campaign in 3D and demonstrates how retailers, theme park and exhibition fabricators can produce displays that capture the audience’s attention more effectively and for longer. Standing at 1.8m-tall (5.9ft), the football player was produced in less than 20 hours. With such a quick turnaround and the capability to personalize such a project, the benefits of utilizing 3D printing in this way provide incredible competitive advantages.
In terms of the retail sector, 3D printing allows retailers to increase brand awareness via vibrant, eye-catching window displays, point of purchase (POP) stands, visual merchandising and exhibitions elements and even customized retail outlets that surpass what can be achieved with traditional manufacturing.
This is exemplified by New York based signage and display print service provider, Big Apple Visual Group. With over 40 years’ experience in the industry, the company has built a reputation as expert craftsmen of iconic window displays for many high-end fashion retailers.
This reputation led to fashion house, Carolina Herrera calling upon the company’s expertise to produce a captivating window display to promote the brand’s summer collection which was to be housed in the renowned department store, Macy’s. Playing on the natural theme of the collection, Big Apple Visual Group 3D printed a full-size flamingo in just one day. The1.8m/5.9ft flamingo was painted in salmon pink and perched in the center of the prime-time shop window. The display was a huge success and secured huge brand awareness for Caroline Herrera.
How many Massivit 1800 printers have been sold to date? How many distributors do you currently have in your network? Are there any plans to expand this network this year?
Since the launch of our flagship Massivit 1800 in 2016, and the introduction of the Massivit 1500 earlier this year, we have seen our sales soar. To date, we have 80 customers worldwide who are enjoying the multitude of business benefits that our solutions provide.
These customers are supported by our dedicated network of expert sales partners across the globe. At present, we have 40 representatives in our sales network including Gujarat-based Arrow Digital Pvt. Ltd.
Earlier this year, we announced the expansion of our dealer network, as well as key appointments to our sales team, to support the growing adoption of our technology. This expansion will continue to ensure that we can support our customers in realizing premium, attention-grabbing visual communications across a vast array of markets.
What prospects does the Massivit 1800 offer to the South East Asian markets? How important is the Indian subcontinent?
The Indian market is very important to us. With predictions forecasting that this will be the second fastest growing market for advertising in Asia this has become a huge focal point for us. In addition, India has one of the biggest entertainment industry of the world. This industry is always looking for solutions that enable them to produce characters, decorations and always quicker than the previous method. This is where we fill the gap.